Air Force special ops medics to test freeze-dried plasma on the battlefield | Air Force Times

Plasma makes up more than half of a person’s blood, and its clotting properties help stop bleeding — which is why medics carry the precious liquid, in frozen form, on the battlefield.

Frozen plasma needs to be kept cold, however, and lugging a freezer in combat isn’t exactly practical. That’s why the Defense Department is working on bringing freeze-dried plasma to the U.S.

This type of plasma doesn’t need to be kept cold and is also more stable than frozen plasma. Since the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved a U.S.-sourced product yet, the military is using French-manufactured freeze-dried plasma in a joint effort to bring the technique to the States.